Expectations Remain High for New-Look Buffs
October 21, 2024 | Women's Basketball
CU is embracing change as the season approaches
BOULDER – Colorado head coach JR Payne sat in front of a packed media room at the CU Events Center on Monday and fielded questions about the sense of uncertainty outside the program that surrounds her basketball team as she enters her ninth season.
The Buffaloes may have 10 new faces and return only one starter from a veteran-led team that advanced to its second consecutive Sweet 16 a year ago.
But one thing was made clear on Monday. The expectations are still the same.
"We have the same expectations we always have, which starts with being excellent each and every day in anything that we do," Payne told the room. "We were very fortunate to have strong veteran leaders [last season]. Even though there are not a lot of them, our upper class, being Kindyll [Wetta], Frida [Formann], and Sara-Rose [Smith], have done a great job of not only welcoming and embracing all of our new players but setting a really high stand of how things are done here. Whether in the weight room, the classroom or our community. Our new players all bought in very quickly as far as what's helped us be successful. We have those same expectations this year."
Part of the upcoming season's novelty is the team's shift back to the Big 12 after playing the last 13 seasons in the Pac-12. In the offseason, the Buffs added players from Big 12 schools, including Lior Garzon (Oklahoma State), Nyamer Diew (Iowa State), and JoJo Nworie (Texas Tech).
"I think it's just a season of new," Payne continued. "Like the team is new, our leadership is new, our conference is new. I think we're just very much embracing all the newness that we're experiencing. As I said earlier, the makeup of the young women in our program—we could not have a better group of young women in our program. They're intelligent, funny, hardworking, and awesome to each other. Our locker room culture is wonderful; they really are special. I think that makes it easier to have 10 new players on a team. If we had people that were bratty or cranky or whatever, it wouldn't be as much fun. So we're embracing that part of it. And then I think we're all just very excited about the Big 12 Conference. We recruited several players that came from the Big 12, so I think we'll lean on them a little bit as we get closer, just because they have more experience than the rest of us. But it's a great group, very cohesive group, and I think it's going to be a great year."
The Buffs will again be in front of the media at Big 12 Media Day presented by Sprouts Famers Market on Tuesday in Kansas City. Frida Formann, Kindyll Wetta and Garzon will accompany Coach Payne. Coverage on the main set for Big 12 Basketball Media can be found on ESPNU and ESPN+ from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. MT. Alex Loeb, Anne O'Neil and Hannah Wing will provide analysis. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark will open Media Days with a 7:30 a.m. MT press conference on Tuesday, followed by a series of Q&A sessions with women's head coaches and student-athletes moderated by Missy Heidrick.
Colorado, picked ninth in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll, will participate in the Q&A session on the main stage at 1:30 p.m. MT. Coach Payne and Formann will join the ESPN+ set just before 2 p.m. MT (times subject to change).
"Honestly, I don't know about other coaches, but I don't really care about preseason rankings," Payne commented. "I care much more about the end-of-season rankings because that's more indicative of how the season went and where we finished. I think on paper, if you didn't really do your research on who we signed in the spring, our freshmen that we have coming in, I think I would have picked us ninth, too. I know our team much better than most, and I definitely think we'll finish much higher than ninth."
Sunday at the CU Events Center is the first chance to catch the Buffs in action this season. Colorado will host Colorado Mines in exhibition play. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
The Buffaloes may have 10 new faces and return only one starter from a veteran-led team that advanced to its second consecutive Sweet 16 a year ago.
But one thing was made clear on Monday. The expectations are still the same.
"We have the same expectations we always have, which starts with being excellent each and every day in anything that we do," Payne told the room. "We were very fortunate to have strong veteran leaders [last season]. Even though there are not a lot of them, our upper class, being Kindyll [Wetta], Frida [Formann], and Sara-Rose [Smith], have done a great job of not only welcoming and embracing all of our new players but setting a really high stand of how things are done here. Whether in the weight room, the classroom or our community. Our new players all bought in very quickly as far as what's helped us be successful. We have those same expectations this year."
Part of the upcoming season's novelty is the team's shift back to the Big 12 after playing the last 13 seasons in the Pac-12. In the offseason, the Buffs added players from Big 12 schools, including Lior Garzon (Oklahoma State), Nyamer Diew (Iowa State), and JoJo Nworie (Texas Tech).
"I think it's just a season of new," Payne continued. "Like the team is new, our leadership is new, our conference is new. I think we're just very much embracing all the newness that we're experiencing. As I said earlier, the makeup of the young women in our program—we could not have a better group of young women in our program. They're intelligent, funny, hardworking, and awesome to each other. Our locker room culture is wonderful; they really are special. I think that makes it easier to have 10 new players on a team. If we had people that were bratty or cranky or whatever, it wouldn't be as much fun. So we're embracing that part of it. And then I think we're all just very excited about the Big 12 Conference. We recruited several players that came from the Big 12, so I think we'll lean on them a little bit as we get closer, just because they have more experience than the rest of us. But it's a great group, very cohesive group, and I think it's going to be a great year."
The Buffs will again be in front of the media at Big 12 Media Day presented by Sprouts Famers Market on Tuesday in Kansas City. Frida Formann, Kindyll Wetta and Garzon will accompany Coach Payne. Coverage on the main set for Big 12 Basketball Media can be found on ESPNU and ESPN+ from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. MT. Alex Loeb, Anne O'Neil and Hannah Wing will provide analysis. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark will open Media Days with a 7:30 a.m. MT press conference on Tuesday, followed by a series of Q&A sessions with women's head coaches and student-athletes moderated by Missy Heidrick.
Colorado, picked ninth in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll, will participate in the Q&A session on the main stage at 1:30 p.m. MT. Coach Payne and Formann will join the ESPN+ set just before 2 p.m. MT (times subject to change).
"Honestly, I don't know about other coaches, but I don't really care about preseason rankings," Payne commented. "I care much more about the end-of-season rankings because that's more indicative of how the season went and where we finished. I think on paper, if you didn't really do your research on who we signed in the spring, our freshmen that we have coming in, I think I would have picked us ninth, too. I know our team much better than most, and I definitely think we'll finish much higher than ninth."
Sunday at the CU Events Center is the first chance to catch the Buffs in action this season. Colorado will host Colorado Mines in exhibition play. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
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